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White Actor Admits Playing Michael Jackson Was a ‘Bad Mistake’

“It honestly makes me want to vomit,” Jackson's daughter tweeted at the time.

British actor Joseph Fiennes admitted over the weekend that he regrets his controversial portrayal of Michael Jackson in a 2017 episode of Urban Myths. He was fitted with a prosthetic nose and caked in makeup to make his complexion lighter for the role, a decision he told The Observer that he now regrets. “I think people are absolutely right to be upset,” Fiennes said in the interview. “And it was a wrong decision.” The episode was never released—it was pulled by the broadcaster “in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family” after the trailer generated a slew of controversy. Paris Jackson, daughter of the late pop legend, tweeted at the time, “It honestly makes me want to vomit.” Now, Fiennes says he gets the outrage, calling his decision to play Jackson “a bad mistake.” He added: “I asked the broadcaster to pull it ... And there were some pretty hefty discussions, but ultimately people made the right choice.”